Communication in Times of Trouble

Acknowledgements

The field of crisis and emergency communication continues to grow. Crises and disasters are occurring more frequently, commanding more attention and generating more research. Chief executive officers and managers are increasingly realizing that effectively preparing for and responding to a crisis require effective communication. The resulting expansion in research and theory regarding crisis communication has created the need for synthesis and summary.

“Best Practices in Crisis Communication: An Expert Panel Process” was published in 2006 in the Journal of Applied Communication Research. The essay had the goal of providing a set of accessible guidelines for crisis planning and response. Although there has been some debate about the individual formulation of these 10 best practices, they have generally held up for more than a decade. This book expands on that essay and presents these 10 best practices as a set of accessible principles that can help inform both research and practice.

There are many people to thank for their patience and support including our spouses, Beth and Deanna, and our children, Maggie and Henry and Debbie and Rick. We also would like to especially thank Ashleigh Day, Stephanie Church, and Sydney Wallace for research and editorial support.

Many colleagues and current and former students allow us to share ideas: Laura Pechta, Marsha Vanderford, Barbara Reynolds, Keri Lubell, Charles Bantz, Joel Iverson, Dennis Gouran, Lee Wilkins, Bill Benoit, ...